What a MARA registration means, and how to check one

What it permits

• Providing immigration assistance in Australia for a fee. Like Canada, this is restricted work — giving migration advice unregistered is an offence under the Migration Act.
• Appearing on the register operated by the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA), which sits within the Department of Home Affairs.
• Each agent holds a MARN — a Migration Agents Registration Number, seven digits, the first two of which are the year of first registration.

What it does not tell you

The limits matter as much as the permissions. A licence answers one question precisely and says nothing about the others.

• Whether the agent handles student visas at all. Many registered agents work exclusively in skilled or family migration.
• Whether they work with school-age children. Australian student-visa practice skews heavily toward higher education.
• Whether an education agent working alongside them is separately accountable — education agents in Australia are not covered by MARA at all.
• Whether the registration is about to lapse. Registration is annual.

How to check one yourself

1. 1Open the OMARA register at portal.mara.gov.au and choose the public 'Search the register' option.
2. 2Search by MARN if you have it, or by the agent's surname.
3. 3Confirm the registration status reads current, and check the expiry date — registration runs in annual cycles and lapses are common.
4. 4Check the listed business name against the firm contacting you. Agents move between practices and the register follows the person.
5. 5Record the date you checked.